If you're Jason Statham, how do you possibly top the experience of working with such a star-studded cast on "The Expendables?" Well, there's always the sequel to consider, but in the meantime, the British action star has other plans: a starring turn in "The Mechanic."
Statham stars in director Simon West's remake of the Charles Bronson and Jan-Michael Vincent-starring '70s action classic, and while we certainly don't want to speak ill of the late, great Bronson's work — for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is our fear of his ghost coming back to kick our collective butts — it certainly looks like Statham's attempt to restart the Bronson franchise is off to an excellent start, if this new trailer is any indicator.
In "The Mechanic Movie," Statham stars as Arthur Bishop, an assassin-for-hire — or a "mechanic" — that works on his own terms with his own unique set of skills. When his close friend and mentor Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop isn't able to turn to his typically cold demeanor for comfort: no, he needs revenge. Bishop takes on his late friend's son Steve (Ben Foster) as a student in the ways of the mechanic, with the two of them working towards the ultimate goal of exacting vengeance upon Harry's killers.
Frankly, you didn't need to know all of that. All you really need to know about "The Mechanic" is right there in the trailer: Statham kicking butt, taking names and doing what he does best alongside a strong cast including Foster, Sutherland and the delightfully villainous Tony Goldwyn of "Ghost" fame. There's no Stallone and there's no Lundgren, sure, but by all accounts, it looks like those guys aren't needed to make "The Mechanic" a bona fide crash course in unrelenting badassery.